Catch him if you can

Steven Spielberg has matured into a filmmaker who takes risks, but some common themes tie all of his movies together

June 27, 2004|By Michael Wilmington, Tribune movie critic.

Steven Spielberg's "The Terminal" -- a movie fable-romance about an Eastern European traveler (Tom Hanks) forced to live in New York City's JFK airport terminal lounge after a coup in his country -- is a sweet-tempered, expertly made film that grossed "only" $19 million in its opening week, placing second to "Dodgeball."

While that $19 million might seem dandy for most filmmakers, it seems initially a disappointment for Spielberg.

Once, he was the unquestioned directorial monarch of the box office lists, with 14 films that made more than $90 million domestically, six that made more than $200 million and three ("Jaws," "E.T." and "Jurassic Park") that were once the all-time box office champs. No other director before or since has attained such consistent popularity -- not even his friend and occasional employer George Lucas.

Now it seems, he's merely mortal, sort of.

But is being mortal so bad? Spielberg, over the years, has matured into a different kind of moviemaker than the wunderkind of the '70s or the dependable mega-hitmaker of the '80s. In the '90s, be-sides commercial success, he sought and won critical respectability, earning best director Oscars for "Schindler's List" (1993) and "Saving Private Ryan" (1998) and a best picture Oscar for "Schindler." Once, he worked a predictable and highly lucrative groove: making gorgeously pictorial science fiction and adventure films that portrayed or evoked childlike wonder. Now, he takes chances, some of which fail commercially or critically or both.

Yet in many ways, he's never been a better, more complete film-maker. The prodigy who made his first amateur feature ("Fire-light") at 16, the critic's pet who directed the great horror movie "Duel" (1972) at 25, the box office titan who ruled the roost with "Jaws" "E. T.," the Indiana Jones trilogy, the "Jurassic Park" movies and "Ryan," has become, in his 50s, a cineaste who takes risks and applies his skills to offbeat projects and challenging stories ("Amistad," "A. I." "Minority Report").

Following is a Spielberg filmography, with icons indicating the themes that link his films, my personal star ratings and box office grosses to date.

Duel" (1972) (star)(star)(star)(star)

Spielberg's TV classic was lengthened and released in theaters a year after it appeared on television. This is the version now available on VHS. (no grosses reported)

Spielberg themes:

The world through the eyes of a child/innocent; family

The invasion of ordinary life by a monster or other-worldly being

War

The Sugarland Express" (1974) (star)(star)(star)1/2

This love-on-the-run thrill-er, with Goldie Hawn and William Atherton as a fugitive couple leading Ben Johnson and an improbable police caravan on a chase through Texas, prompted The New Yorker's Pauline Kael to predict Spielberg would become his generation's Howard Hawks. Gross: $7.5 million)

Spielberg themes:

Outsiders vs. a hostile/corrupt society

The world through the eyes of a child/innocent; family

War

Jaws" (1975) (star)(star)(star)(star)

Holly-wood's biggest hit before "Star Wars," this horror picture about a killer shark terrorizing a New England resort city turned 28-year-old Spielberg into a super-director and also helped change the industry -- not necessarily for the better. ($260 million)

Spielberg themes:

Outsiders vs. a hostile/corrupt society

War

"Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977) (star)(star)(star)(star)

Spielberg's first sci-fi classic is a magical "first contact" tale with Teri Garr, Francois Truffaut and Richard Drey-fuss as an ordinary Joe who becomes possessed with a dream of illumination and escape after sighting an alien spacecraft. ($155.7 million)

Spielberg themes:

Outsiders vs. a hostile/corrupt society

The world through the eyes of a child/innocent; family

The invasion of ordinary life by a monster or other-worldly being

Nostalgia for the golden age of movies past

"1941" (1979) (star)(star)1/2

Unfunny but exciting WW II comedy about a slapstick invasion of L.A. by a stray Japanese submarine, commanded by Toshiro Mifune and attacked by (among others) John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. Written by John Milius, Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale. ($34.2 million)

Spielberg themes:

Outsiders vs. a hostile/corrupt society

The invasion of ordinary life by a monster or other-worldly being

Nostalgia for the golden age of movies past

War

"Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981) (star)(star)(star)1/2

This Lucas-Spielberg action extravaganza revolving around archeologist hero Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) -- has a spoof's glancing tone but few jokes. The pace is whiplash and the staging extraordinary in this cliffhanger-parade about a battle between adventurers and Nazis to find the Ark of the Covenant. ($242.4 million)